A source said Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the PM's
secretary-general Suranan Vejjajiva had summoned current ministers who are to
be transferred to new positions, as well as the new faces to be appointed to
the Cabinet, to a meeting at the Thai Kufah Building.
The new and reshuffled members of
the Cabinet were told to submit forms stating their work records, the source
said.
According to the source, those
who turned up to sign the curriculum vitae forms included Science Minister
Plodprasob Surassawadi; Information and Communications Technology Minister
Anudith Nakornthap; Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul; Deputy Transport
Minister Chatt Kuldiloke and PM's Office Minister Woravat Auapinyakul.
Defence Minister ACM Sukampol
Suwannathat met Yingluck in the morning, while Sermsak Pongpanit, a former Thai
Rak Thai executive, also went to Government House.
The source said the forms did not
state the positions to which the officials would be appointed; the prime
minister and Suranan told them simply to state their CVs.
The source said the prime
minister asked the Pheu Thai Party's coalition partners to submit their lists
of changes to their Cabinet-seat quotas to Suranan by 4pm yesterday so that
Cabinet Secretary-General Ampon Kittiampon could check their qualifications.
The Palang Chon Party submitted
Sonthaya Kunplome's working history to Suranan, according to the source, who
added that Sonthaya would replace his wife, Sukumol Kunplome, as culture
minister.
The Chart Thai Pattana Party would
definitely replace its agriculture minister, Theera Wongasamut, who wants to
step down for health reasons, the source said. Theera is expected to be
replaced by Yukol Limlaemthong, former permanent secretary for agriculture.
The source said Yingluck wants to
submit the list of reshuffled Cabinet seats for a Royal command before she
embarks on a series of foreign trips next month.
A well-informed source said the
reshuffle would mostly involve deputy ministers who have been in office for a
year, with only a few members of "Team A", or former Thai Rak Thai
executives, being brought into the Yingluck 3 Cabinet.
"Only a few former Thai Rak
Thai executives will join the new Cabinet. The reshuffle will mostly involve
deputy ministers who have been in office for a year. They will take a rest so
that other senior party members can take a turn," the source said.
According to the source, former
Thai Rak Thai executives who have a chance to be in the Cabinet are Pongthep
Thepkanchana, Pongsak Raktapongpaisal, Warathep Ratanakorn and Chaturon
Chaisaeng.
Chaturon and Pongthep are seen as
likely to fill the Education and Justice portfolios, though it is not yet clear
who would take which.
Certain economic ministers
previously seen as vulnerable due to blunders or problems with their work are
seen as likely to survive. One of these, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance
Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, is expected to keep the Finance portfolio, but to
be replaced as deputy premier in charge of economic affairs by Pongsak, who is
a key candidate to become the new energy minister. His main rival for the
Energy portfolio is Prasert Boonsamphan, former chief executive of petroleum
giant PTT Plc.
However, Commerce Minister
Boonsong Teriyapirom may lose his seat to Warathep. Boonsong has been
criticised over the rice-pledging scheme but is favoured by Yaowapha Wongsawat,
a sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the leader of a
powerful faction in Pheu Thai.
The highlight of the upcoming
Cabinet reshuffle is expected to be the appointment of Jatuporn Promphan, a
red-shirt leader, as promised by big boss Thaksin.
Earlier, Yingluck reportedly
rejected her brother's request to bring in Jatuporn on grounds that she did not
want to increase the number of red-shirt leaders in the Cabinet for fear that
the government's image would be affected. She reportedly feared that the
red-shirt leaders would draw attacks on the Cabinet, so she tried to resist the
request of her brother to give a seat to Jatuporn.
She tried to convince red-shirt
leaders to make do with one seat, by having Jatuporn talk to Natthawut Saikua
as to who should be a minister. Natthawut was eventually named deputy
agriculture minister.
However, Thaksin has reportedly
promised Jatuporn that he would be made a deputy interior minister.
Ultimately, Yingluck has had to
yield to Thaksin and give the position to Jatuporn because her government
cannot afford to infuriate the red-shirt movement. Yingluck realises that her
government needs the support of red-shirt supporters on several issues. In
particular, their backing is needed for holding public discussions over the
national reconciliation bill. These will be organised by Deputy Prime Minister
Chalerm Yoobamrung. The discussions will start in Nakhon Ratchasima, which is a
political base of Pheu Thai.
Red-shirt support is also needed
to push for passage of the charter amendment bill, whose third reading is
pending. Thaksin has reportedly engineered a consensus with other coalition
partners that it is about time to resume the third reading of the bill.
Among the expected new faces in
the Cabinet will be former police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong, who is
expected to become a deputy prime minister or interior minister.
The Cabinet reshuffle will also
be linked to the selection of the new Pheu Thai leader. It has been speculated
that the new party chief will have at least one Cabinet seat, as did the former
leader, Yongyuth Wichaidit.
With support from Thaksin's
ex-wife, Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, it is expected that Transport Minister
Charupong Ruangsuwan will become the next Pheu Thai leader, while retaining his
portfolio. Earlier, it was speculated that he would be removed from the
Cabinet.
Piyanart Srivalo
Business & Investment Opportunities
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